Transcription

Soldier John Sheahan writes a vivid description of conditions in the field a few days before the start of the "Mud March." Sheahan mentions the large number of Confederate soldiers stationed across the river from the Union camp.

This 1863 letter describes the consequences of Gen. Burnside's decision to try to cross the Rappahannock River and catch the rebels off-guard with a surprise attack. The weather was poor, and the rain and snow created treacherous marching conditions. In his letter, Sheahan writes that in some places the mud was "over my head."